


Tale as Old as Time

by the_glare_you_see



Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Healing, How Do I Tag, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Reincarnation, Soldiers, Swearing, War, cathy gets very invested, i guess, i guess?, idk its not rlly angst??, idk man read the fic, kit tells cathy a story, s o m e o n e had to give me ideas, there is one (1) incorrect quote in here bc it just f i t s, there we go thats the tag i forgot lmaoo, this was supposed to be a oneshot but nOooooO
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:40:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29818875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_glare_you_see/pseuds/the_glare_you_see
Summary: A surprised laugh interrupted her spiel and Anne watched as an honest-to-spirits smile broke out across the soldier’s face. The laughter faded and Catti met her gaze, turning red when she noticed the way Anne was looking at her.“What?” she asked, dropping the smile. Anne shook her head.“Nothing… it’s just that you have a beautiful smile.”Catti blushed and ducked her head. “Shut up,” she muttered.orIn which Catalina is a soldier and Anne is a healer. and guess what? they're on opposite ends.
Relationships: Anne Boleyn/Catherine of Aragon, Katherine Howard/Catherine Parr
Comments: 16
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Harmonic_Wisp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harmonic_Wisp/gifts), [Reign_of_Glory](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reign_of_Glory/gifts).



> no one:
> 
> me: tale as old as timeeeeeee
> 
> also me: sECRET TUNNELLLLLL, seCRET TUNNELLLL—
> 
> pls feel free to leave comments and kudos bc they make my day!
> 
> stay safe
> 
> \- Zen

“Can't sleep?” Kit asked, leaning against the doorway. Cathy turned, a mug of steaming tea (for once) in her hand. 

“Unfortunately,” she replied, “but what else is new.”

Kit tilted her head, holding one hand out to Cathy in a silent invitation. The writer took it and let the younger woman lead her to the couch. 

“Is there any way I can help?” Kit asked, tucking a blanket around them and letting Cathy curl into her side. 

Cathy shrugged. “Tell me a story?” she suggested softly. Kit furrowed her brows in thought before nodding. 

“It's a legend as old as time itself,” she began, waggling her eyebrows. 

Cathy took a sip of her tea. “Really?” she asked with a grin. 

“...no,” Kit rolled her eyes in fond annoyance, “but it did make the intro more dramatic, right?”

Cathy nodded. “Of course.”

Kit straightened, a satisfied grin spreading over her face. “For as long as Anne could remember, there had been war...”

\----

It ravaged the land, destroyed crops and livestock, took the lives of many, and ruined the lives of the precious few that remained. 

She trained to become a healer, helping the wounded who collapsed into the huts with the rest of her people. But she knew she could do more. At night she stole away, scavenging for supplies and fallen soldiers who she could drag back to the huts so that another family could be complete again. 

That’s how Anne found her. 

At first, the insignia had gone unnoticed, shrouded by the dense foliage and shadows that the soldier was trapped under. She knew that the soldier was not long for this world if she didn’t act now, so Anne began to work, treating the many wounds the soldier had accumulated over the course of however many battles. 

A calloused hand stopped her in her tracks and her head snapped up. Anne’s eyes traced the weaving insignia across the chest plate and met the golden eyes of her enemy. Her mouth went dry, her breathing quickened, and she feared for her life in a way that she never did before. 

Before she could do anything too drastic, like run screaming into the woods, the soldier groaned in pain, golden eyes snapping shut and the grip on Anne’s hand tightening ever so slightly. 

“It’s ok,” Anne whispered, her voice shaking with fear, “you’re going to be ok.”

Through the night she worked, setting the broken bones and bandaging the bleeding wounds. The soldier was of no help, stubbornly staying silent save for the stifled groans of pain that escaped her. Anne didn’t mind, content to prattle on about anything and everything to get her mind off the fact that she was helping the enemy.

When the sun peeked above the horizon, Anne was still there, dozing against a tree with the soldier lying a few feet away from her. She heard quiet swears and forced her eyes open. She leaped to her feet in alarm when she saw that the soldier was awake. 

“Good morning,” she said as she defensively held her hands out. The soldier did not reply. “I wouldn’t recommend moving without some assistance.”

“I’m perfectly fine,” the soldier growled.

“Ah yes, because you can get to your feet with at least three broken ribs and two  _ nasty _ cuts on your leg,” Anne replied, “Not to mention your probably sprained wrist, which I oh so kindly wrapped for you, and the stab wound on your  _ other _ side—”

“If you’re so  _ concerned, _ why don’t you help me up?” the soldier spat, before falling onto the ground with a painful thump.

“Let’s add ‘possible concussion’ to the list,” Anne mused. The soldier exhaled harshly through her teeth and forced herself up again.

“I need to get back to my troop,” she said, somehow managing to sit upright.

Anne frowned. “You’re not going to be of any use to them in  _ that _ condition.” The soldier squinted at her and Anne shrugged. “I’m just saying that you should heal before you go back.”

“They’ll think I deserted them.”

“They think you’re already  _ dead,” _ Anne replied, “A few more days will be nothing.”

The soldier sighed loudly, tipping her head back and staring at the sky. “Ok, fine,” she grunted. “Where can I go?”

“I know just the place,” Anne said, climbing to her feet.

\----

“I don’t suppose you’d like to tell me your name,” Anne said as they trekked through the woods. The soldier shrugged, wincing in regret when the move jostled her wounds.

“...it’s Cat,” the soldier replied, eyes locked on the ground. 

“Well, Catti,” Anne said, avoiding a tree root, “my name is Anne.”

Catti frowned. “Don’t call me—”

“We need to move a bit faster if we want to make it there before nightfall,” Anne said, cutting her off. 

Catti scowled, leaning more heavily on her. “I’m moving as fast as I can.”

\----

“Here we are,” Anne said, pulling back the carefully woven curtain with a dramatic flourish, “home sweet home. Well… not really, but it’s comfortable.”

Catti shuffled in and almost fell flat on her face if it weren’t for Anne catching her.

“Just take a seat here, m’lady,” Anne said with a grin, “I’ll get a fire going… unless you can…?”

Catti shook her head, a slight scowl appearing. “Sorry,” she replied. Anne waved her hand dismissively and scoured around for her kit.

“Perfectly alright,” she replied, pulling one of the many baskets down and letting out a whoop. She crouched in front of the fireplace. Finally, with the fire started she turned to the soldier, who’d been watching in quiet fascination.

Anne set the fire kit in the basket and put it back on the shelf. Silence settled over them once more and Anne tapped the ground.

“Why did you help me?” Catti asked, jolting Anne out of her rapidly spiraling thoughts. 

Anne shrugged. “The fact that it was night when I found you certainly helped,” she said quietly. “You were going to die if I didn’t help you and you were in no condition to fight.”

Catti blinked at her, about to retort when Anne shook her head. “I was trained to be a healer and help anyone in need. I just happened to come across you this time.”

The soldier nodded. “Right… thank you,” she said, “I am in your debt.”

Anne looked at her again, taking in the piercing golden eyes and the ramrod-straight posture. She swallowed.

“Ok,” she replied weakly.

\----

The days went on, with Catti steadily healing. The soldier was a quiet companion, never one to start conversations but a great listener. She listened as Anne babbled on about the healing, the stars, the war, any topic that she could latch onto to fill the silence. She would answer questions when prompted, always looking shocked to be addressed at all and it did little to quell the healer’s curiosity.

Anne wondered what the soldier’s story was, what her life had been like before the army. Did she grow up knowing that she’d be drafted? Did she join of her own free will?

One glance at Catti’s exhausted face had her reeling back all her questions and instead launching into another tale about her patients.

She was in the middle of a particularly harrowing— for her at least— tale which Catti seemed to find quite amusing if the small grin on her face was anything to go by.

“And this man had the  _ audacity _ to demand another healer because he didn’t think I knew how to properly stitch someone up! If I wanted to I could’ve just let him bleed out on the table!”

A surprised laugh interrupted her spiel and Anne watched as an honest-to-spirits  _ smile _ broke out across the soldier’s face. The laughter faded and Catti met her gaze, turning red when she noticed the way Anne was looking at her.

“What?” she asked, dropping the smile. Anne shook her head.

“Nothing… it’s just that you have a beautiful smile.”

Catti blushed and ducked her head. “Shut up,” she muttered.

\----

Of course, something had to go wrong. The cut on her leg had not been healing as well as Anne had hoped, and when she saw Catti writhing around with sweat dripping down her brow and her face pinched in pain one morning, she knew something was wrong.

“Catti,” she whispered, gently shaking her shoulder. “Catti, wake up!”

“No, sir, I don’t want to go—” The soldier’s voice was broken and when Anne brushed her fingers over Catti’s forehead, it was burning up.

“Catti!” Anne grabbed a nearby pitcher and dunked it on the soldier’s head. Catti sputtered awake, arms flailing around as she tried to get her bearings. 

“Anne,” she growled, wiping her face, “what the  _ hell _ was that for?”

“I need to do a checkup,” Anne replied, motioning for her to move the blanket. “Something’s wrong.”

“And you couldn’t have woken me up like a regular person!”

“I tried, you were muttering in your sleep.” Anne moved the blanket away and began her check-up, ignoring the glaring eyes that were shooting daggers into her head. She reached the cut on the soldier’s leg and Catti hissed.

“It’s infected,” Anne said as she gently probed the cut. “Catti what did you  _ do?” _

“I don’t know,” Catti replied through gritted teeth.

Anne shakily sighed. “I need to clean it,” she said, grabbing the supplies. “Fair warning it’s going to sting a bit.”

“I’m sure I can handle a bit of a sting,” Cattie replied tightly. Anne raised a brow as she carefully poured the solution onto the wound and barely flinched when Catti’s hand latched onto her shoulder, nails digging in slightly.

“So after this war is over, whenever that is,” Anne said as she gently ran the soaked cloth over the cut, “what would you like to do?”

_ “Fuck,” _ Catti swore. 

Anne raised a brow. “I’m not one to judge, but isn’t that aiming a little low?”

Catti whacked her shoulder as a blush crept across her face. “That’s not what I meant and you know it!”

“Well then, brave soldier of mine,” Anne set her hands down for a moment and locked eyes with her, “What’s your dream?”

Catti swallowed and glanced away, cheeks darkening. Anne resumed her cleaning and was in the process of bandaging it back up when Catti spoke.

“I’ve always liked horses,” the soldier replied quietly. Anne smiled.

\----

“Teach me how to fight,” Anne said. Catti looked up from where she was carefully stretching out her leg and chuckled. Anne placed her hands on her hips and inclined her head.

Catti raised a brow and set her foot down. “...why?”

“Because you need to start strengthening your muscles and building up stamina and  _ I _ will learn some cool moves! Everybody wins!”

Catti slowly walked up to her, golden eyes never leaving her face. Anne swallowed, keeping her grin in place. The soldier stopped about a foot away from her and looked her up and down.

“Alright,” Catti said, a slight smirk gracing her lips, “I’ll teach you how to fight.”

\----

“I win,” Anne said, chest heaving slightly as she smirked up at her. Catti furrowed her brows.

“I literally have you pinned to the floor,” she replied.

“I know.”

Catti’s eyes widened and her grip on Anne’s wrists tightened.

Needless to say, the sparring match was quickly forgotten.

\----

“We can leave,” Catti murmured, gently combing her hands through Anne’s hair. The healer was wrapped around the soldier, gripping her tightly and halfway to dreamland when Catti spoke.

“Hm?” Anne shifted onto her back and raised a brow. 

“We can leave,” Catti repeated, “find a small town, somewhere far away from all this fighting. We could settle down and have a life… if you wanted.”

Anne smiled softly, brushing their noses together. “I’d like that.”

\----

They made a plan. Soon, once Catti was able to run and Anne had gathered enough supplies, they would escape. 

The small cave now thrummed with quiet energy as they prepared. Catti poured over the maps that Anne had managed to get from the library, tossing out ideas for their destination and planning their route as Anne made a list of all the supplies needed.

“How does  _ Doradia _ sound?” Catti asked, pointing to a spot on the other side of the mountains. Anne hooked her chin over her shoulder and smiled.

“Sounds like an adventure,” she replied. Catti tilted her head and raised a brow.

“Anywhere is an adventure with you,” she replied. Anne reeled back, shoving the soldier lightly.

“Oh shut up and help me pack,” she grumbled, feeling the blush already crawling up her face.

Damn soldier. Damn soldier and her smooth lines.

\----

So far, everything was going according to plan. They crept out, under the cover of darkness, moving as fast as Catti was able, keeping to the trees and staying as silent as possible. 

Everything was fine. 

Until an arrow hit the tree, millimeters away from Anne’s face. She traded an alarmed glance with Catti, who grabbed her hand and started running.

_ Thwick. Thwick. Thwick. _

Three arrows hit the ground behind them in quick succession and Anne swore.

“I thought this was a safe route!” she said. Catti glanced behind her, panic visible on her face.

“It appears that my information on patrols is a little outdated,” she replied, spinning to the side. She lost her grip on Anne, who froze for a precious split-second before following. But the split-second was enough for a hit.

“Anne!” she heard Catti exclaim. Her vision started to blur, and there was a stinging in her side. She stumbled forward, into Catti’s solid arms and the stinging transitioned into  _ burning. _ Her side felt like it was being torn wide open with glowing hot pokers and she dimly wondered if this was what her patients felt like— when they were half-unconscious and muttering deliriously as the healers worked overtime to get them stable. 

Anne could say that she wouldn’t recommend it.

“Anne,  _ amor, _ hey! Don’t—don’t close your eyes,  _ stay with me.” _ Catti’s voice was panicked and distant, even though Anne could feel the solid press of Catti’s torso against her back. She focused, trying to get Catti to just  _ stay still. _

“Catti,  _ Catti,” _ Anne said, ignoring the pain in her side and gently grabbing the soldier’s face. “You need to let me go. It’s too late for me.”

Catti shook her head. “No, I can’t. Tell me what to do and I’ll help you, you can’t—”

Anne pressed their foreheads together, squeezing her eyes shut as Catti’s tears dripped onto her face. 

“Oh, my brave,  _ brave _ soldier,” she whispered hoarsely, feeling her own tears start to run, “You’re going to be ok.”

The healer pulled away, meeting Catti’s tearstained eyes.

“Anne, I can’t—”

But she was gone, and the soldier was left alone, cradling the body of her lover, cursing the war that had brought them together and, ultimately, had torn them apart. 

\----

“...so that's it?” Cathy asked her now empty mug of tea resting on the coffee table. “That’s the story?” Kit shrugged, pulling her closer and hooking her chin over the writer’s shoulder.

“I never said it was a  _ happy _ one,” she replied with a grin. Cathy huffed, snuggling further into her embrace with a pout. 

“Well now I’m sad,” she replied. Kit cooed, pressing a kiss to the writer’s temple.

“How would you have ended it, then?” 

Cathy shrugged. “They escaped together, lived out their lives in peace— happily ever after.”

Kit sighed good-naturedly, tugging her closer. “You do love a good fairytale.”

“But I love  _ you  _ even more.” Was the sleepy response. Cathy snuggled into her once more and with one last kiss to Kit’s jaw, was out.

\----


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The sun shone in broken streams down onto her face. Her body ached and her blood-soaked hands shook. There was so much red, too much and it clashed against the calming green of the forest. A familiar weight rested on her thighs and she looked down, taking in the woman below her. She was beautiful._
> 
> _And dead._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harmonic_Wisp won’t let me leave them on a tragic note so here
> 
> (i didnt want to end it on a tragic note either so it all works out)
> 
> feel free to leave comments and kudos you know the drill xD
> 
> stay safe yall
> 
> Zen

Cathy threw the door to Kit’s room— their room really, since she spent more time there than in her own— open with a grin. “Kit, I came up with something!”

Kit blinked, pen frozen in the air and reading glasses perched on her nose. “Cathy, darling, I love you but it’s three in the morning—”

“You’re _literally_ doing Sudoku in bed, you have no right to talk,” Cathy replied, stepping inside and shutting the door. Kit sighed and set her half-finished sudoku puzzle aside.

“Alright, fine. What did you come up with?”

Cathy jumped onto the bed, causing Kit to giggle, and spread her arms out dramatically. “It starts with light...”

\----

_The sun shone in broken streams down onto her face. Her body ached and her blood-soaked hands shook. There was so much red,_ too _much and it clashed against the calming green of the forest. A familiar weight rested on her thighs and she looked down, taking in the woman below her. She was beautiful._

_And dead._

\----

“Spirits, _please,_ just give me five more minutes,” Catalina groaned, tucking her face into her pillow. The incessant beeping of her alarm did not stop and she flung her arm out, determined to make it quiet. 

“Shut up,” she whined, whacking her nightstand to no avail. With a groan, she turned her head and squinted at the bright light splintering through the blinds. With a deep inhale and a string of swears, she pushed herself up and forced herself to move.

The dream echoed in her head, already fading away and Catalina did not try to keep it there. Dreams meant nothing and it wouldn’t do her any good to keep thinking about them. 

They would just lead to disappointment and confusion anyway.

\----

_She felt nauseous. Too nauseous to even look at the stars, which always helped her clear her mind._

_‘Count to ten,’ she told herself, ‘then count backwards.’_

_Her leg stung with the injuries she’d sustained and her armor felt too heavy for her to breathe properly. Or maybe that was the potentially broken ribs talking. Who knew? She certainly didn’t._

_She may have passed out, because the next thing she knew was that the stinging in her leg was gone, replaced by a dull throb. She could breathe easier, now that her chest plate was removed and her ribs bandaged. (They_ were _broken_ _!)_

_A voice broke through her confused thoughts and she craned her neck towards it._

_The woman was there, hands raised defensively in front of her and a wary look in her eyes._

_She was still beautiful._

\----

Her heart hurt. Not physically, but a phantom pain. Always there, in the rhythmic beat of her heart. Some days it hurt too much to breathe— to do anything really. She didn’t know what caused it or how it happened. And the closest word she could use to describe it was longing. 

But for who?

As far as she knew she had never _longed_ for anyone, had never cared or wanted anyone enough for it to hurt— yet here it was.

Deep and raw and so incredibly painful.

\----

_The fire crackled around them and she felt warm. Her heart no longer hurt and she gazed into the flickering flames, watching as the shadows danced around the room. The sound of laughter caught her ear and she turned slightly. The woman was there, alive, with her head tipped back and her shoulders shaking with laughter._

_“Catti!” the woman exclaimed, meeting her eyes. “I didn’t know you had a sense of humor!”_

_She found herself smiling in reply. “Well there’s a lot you don’t know about me, Anne,” she replied._

_Anne._

_It suited her._

\----

“Excuse me!” someone exclaimed. Catalina felt a jolt down her spine and turned, just in time for someone to go skidding into her. She stumbled back a step, arms reflexively wrapping around the woman's waist to keep them steady.

“I’m so sorry,” the woman said. Catalina’s breath caught in her throat when their eyes met and the woman froze, mouth agape.

_Anne._

“It’s you,” Catalina whispered. Her chest felt tight like she couldn’t _breathe_ and her hands shook as she cupped Anne’s face. Catalina’s thumb brushed over her cheekbone and she let out a choked whimper. 

“It’s me,” Anne replied, voice just as shaky and with tears glimmering in the corners of her eyes.

“The dreams?” she asked, as Anne’s arms wrapped tightly around her waist. 

Anne nodded. “Yeah… so many dreams,” she whispered, as her eyes flickered down. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

Catalina smiled faintly. “Neither have you. You look as beautiful as the day I met you.”

“You were delirious with pain the day I met you,” Anne retorted, her annoyance undermined by the gigantic smile that was threatening to overtake her face.

“My being delirious did not take away from how you looked,” Catalina replied. “And you were— still are— beautiful.”

Anne flushed. “And _you_ are still the smooth-talking soldier, I see.”

They stared at each other for a moment, drinking each other in. Catalina was still holding Anne’s face, gently running her thumb across her cheekbone every so often as Anne’s eyes flickered all over her face as if she was trying to memorize every detail.

“I would very much like to kiss you,” Catalina whispered, breaking the silence. Anne didn’t reply, only leaned in and gently pressed their lips together. Catalina felt her heart stutter and her mind went blank.

_Wow._

The band in her chest loosened and she felt like she was floating on air. She tugged Anne closer, pressing them together as she _remembered._ Anne pulled away with a gasp and clutched her head.

Catalina remembered the war, the fighting, the _injuries._ All the pain and anger and sadness she had kept under lock and key. She remembered kind green eyes and a soft smile; stinging salve applied with gentle hands. 

She remembered the cave, the plan, the escape, and how they _almost made it._

How they would have made it if it wasn’t for her.

_“Anne,”_ she whispered hoarsely. “Anne I’m so sorry—”

Anne pressed their lips together once more, cutting her off.

“Don’t apologize,” the healer murmured, gently wiping away Catalina’s tears. 

“I never thought I’d see you again,” Catalina said, pulling her closer and tucking her face into the crook of Anne’s neck. 

“Oh my brave soldier,” Anne said, holding her gently. “I love you so, _so_ much.”

Those words were almost enough to send Catalina into tears again but she managed to keep it together. “I love you too,” she replied. 

And for now, that was enough.

It had to be enough.

\----

“And they both lived happily ever after,” Cathy said, throwing her arms in the air once more and almost knocking Kit’s glasses off. “The end!”

“Aw, that was cute!’ Kit said, a smile twitching at her lips. “But you _do_ know that the chances of them meeting again in the next life are like _astronomically_ improbable—”

Cathy pressed a finger to her lips, effectively silencing her with a shake of her head. “Just let them be happy together. They deserve it.”

Kit rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she replied. Cathy grinned in triumph and removed her finger, dropping a peck onto Kit’s lips instead. 

“If that happened to us you’d find me, right?” Cathy asked.

Kit tangled their hands together and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Of course,” she replied, “I wouldn’t stop until I found you.”

"Even if it was 'astronomically improbable'?" Cathy asked with a small chuckle.

Kit tugged her closer. _"Especially_ then."

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some more vibes: [True Love's Kiss](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlRGh0unE1M)
> 
> (I'm in an Enchanted mood and this song popped into my head while writing this part lmao)
> 
> scream at me on tumblr, if you so desire: [@judging-seahorse](https://judging-seahorse.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> have some vibes: [So Close](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UtnXJy5b5I)
> 
> scream at me on tumblr: [@judging-seahorse](https://judging-seahorse.tumblr.com/)
> 
> lmao okie baii


End file.
